


Safe

by MorganaNK



Category: Inspector Lynley - All Media Types, Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 17:45:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11190156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaNK/pseuds/MorganaNK
Summary: Barbara gets injured at a crime scene...





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Property of Elizabeth George and the BBC, no copyright infringement intended
> 
> _Another fic where Barbara gets injured... I'm turning into the RantandRumour of the ILM fandom! Sorry Barbara..._

I locked my car and made my way towards the uniformed officer manning the cordon, ignoring the group of teenage boys that were loitering just beyond the crime scene.

“Good God; just look at the state of that!”

“Don’t you have a mirror in your house luv, or did you get dressed in the dark?”

Showing my warrant card and then ducking under the cordon tape, I paid no heed to the insults. They were nothing I hadn’t heard a million times before, and would probably hear a million times again. 

“Who's the stiff?”

“If it's ‘er stylist it's probably a mercy killing!”

I kept my head held high and crossed over to where Stuart was examining the body.

“Morning Stuart. What have you got for me?”

He looked up at me and smirked, “the usual. I’ll know more…”

“When you get him on your table. Surely you can tell me something.”

“Male, late thirties to early forties, no id. Apparently, he came off worse in an argument with a blue BMW that didn’t hang around afterwards.”

I returned his grin, “I’ll head back to the office and await your call then.”

“You’ll be the first person I contact. So, no Tommy today?”

“No, he’s still in Cornwall, due back sometime this afternoon.”

“Bet you’ll be glad to see him.”

I rolled my eyes at his unsubtle comment. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”

As I headed back to the car the heckling started up again.

“Nice wig darlin’, did you get it from a charity shop?”

“Nah, she robbed a scarecrow!”

“Looks like it was chewed by a rat!”

I kept up the pretence of being deaf and continued my journey to the car. It was just as I went to unlock it that something hit me on the back of the head. I stumbled and fell, mocking laughter echoing in my ears.

“BARBARA!”

Dazed, I looked up and saw Stuart running to my side. He crouched down next to me, pulling me into his arms.

“What happened?”

“The kids, they threw something at you. You went down like a ton of bricks.”

I raised a shaky hand to the back of my head; my fingers came away covered in blood. I stared at them in macabre fascination and then passed out.

~*~

When I came to my head was thumping and I felt more than a little sick. Someone was holding my hand, their thumb stroking my palm. I opened my eyes, blinking until the room came into focus.

“Barbara? How are you feeling?”

“Sir?” I turned my head to look at him and regretted it immediately. “Ouch!”

“Try not to move too much, you have a nasty head injury.”

“I was at a crime scene, Stuart was there.”

“That’s right.”

“The teenagers, they were shouting insults, they threw something.”

I saw a flash of fury cross Tommy’s face and realised that he probably hadn’t been told the entire story.

“That’s not important now, all that matters is getting you fit and well.”

We both fell silent as a nurse came into the room and undertook what I assumed were my routine observations. She made a few notes in my chart, upped my pain relief when I told her about my headache, smiled at us both and then left. As the door closed behind her we resumed our conversation.

“I can’t believe I got felled by a group of cocky idiot boys high on bravado.”

“Those cocky idiot boys threw half a brick at you. They’re lucky we’re not charging them with the attempted murder of a police officer!”

I squeezed the hand that was still holding mine. “I’m fine Sir, or at least I will be once I get rid of this pounding headache and the nausea.”

“They could have killed you Barbara.”

“But they didn’t.”

“If Stuart hadn’t been there to take care of you.”

“There’s no point worrying about the what ifs and maybes; Stuart was there and I am fine.”

“When he called me, and told me you’d been injured, I was terrified. I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have been there.”

“You were with your family.”

“I should have been with you! Any time I leave you alone someone tries to maim you. Robin Payne, Emily Barlow, Grace Finnegan, Pat Garratt, Carly Baker, Conrad McCaffrey; shall I go on?”

“I’m not some fragile flower who needs protecting twenty-four seven, I’m a police officer, a detective sergeant, I know the risks.”

“I’m the senior officer, your partner, it’s my job to watch your back.”

“You were in Cornwall for heaven’s sake!” I brought my hand up and rubbed my forehead, trying ease the throbbing pain. “Do we really have to argue about this now?”

He looked contrite. “I’m sorry Barbara, I don’t want to argue with you, nor am I trying to imply that you are not capable of doing your job, I just feel guilty.”

“You have nothing to feel guilty about, you weren’t there so…”

He let go of my hand and started to pace. “I can’t help it. The thought of you not being in my life, of you not being by my side, to ground me, to keep me sane...” His voice trailed off but his pacing continued.

“I know, I understand.”

He stopped dead and stared at me. “You do?”

“Balford le Nez. My being partnered with Fiona Knight…”

He grinned bashfully and sat back down next to me.

“I don’t want to own you. I don’t want to lock you away in the attic at Howenstow.”

“You just need to know that I am safe. As I said, I understand.” I lowered my gaze, “I feel the same way.”

“Honestly?” I could hear the surprise in his voice.

“I’d be pretty stupid not to.” 

“And you’re not stupid.”

“Thank you.” I yawned, covering my mouth with the back of my hand, “sorry.”

“Don’t apologise, I should let you sleep. We can talk later.”

“You’ll be here?”

He gently kissed my forehead. “I told you, I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

“Thank you, Tommy.”

His expression upon hearing me use his name told me more than words ever would. Smiling drowsily, I drifted off to sleep.


End file.
